Roller Coaster Rides: Surprising Health Benefits

If you are trying to pass a kidney stone, you may want to consider a ride on a roller coaster.

Dr. David Wartinger, a professor at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, conducted a scientific study to test anecdotes of patients saying they passed kidney stones while vacationing at amusement parks.

Dr. Wartinger said many of his patients head to amusement parks for spring break. He says one of the recommended treatments for stones still small enough to pass is to stay active and drink a lot of water.

“It became a story we were more than familiar with — a patient conducting an activity that caused him to pass a stone. This kind of vibratory bouncing around activity is known to be helpful among urologists, but it’s never been studied,” he said.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. The research team made a model kidney filled with real kidney stones and rode Big Thunder Mountain with their “patient surrogate.” Indeed, the jostling of the roller coaster helped jog the stones from the simulated kidney.

Apparently sitting in the back of the roller coaster garnered the best results, with a pass rate of nearly 64 percent compared to the front’s 17 percent.